


Stalking is Caring

by Zenit



Category: DCU (Comics)
Genre: AU DCU, F/M, M/M, Very AU, alternative universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-07
Updated: 2014-09-07
Packaged: 2018-02-15 08:48:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2222856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zenit/pseuds/Zenit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Everyone wants to find out what's up with Bruce Wayne? His friends are working into it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stalking is Caring

**Author's Note:**

> A belated birthday gift for epigenetics. I was aiming for more Bruce/Dick but this is how it turned out.
> 
> I apologize for any spelling errors.
> 
> Anywhay. Happy Birthday to you!

-So, you really have no idea what he is doing?-

-That’s no what I said Loise-

-But you did ask him- 

-I did and….- 

-And he didn’t tell you! That can’t be nothing. Right?-

-Well…..-

-He would have told you if it was something inconsequential. I mean you two have been friends for years-

-Yes, we are but….-

-Yes, and he wouldn’t compromise your integrity asking you to keep a secret so he doesn’t tells you. Something is happening and it’s bigger than an heir going wild, that’s like Wednesday for him and…

-That’s enough Lois! Bruce may have had some periods of instability in his personal life but calling him an heir gone wild it’s unfair and inapposite. AND what I have been trying to tell you for the last 20 minutes is that he is doing nothing. He has no mission, no plan nor ulterior motive what so ever, he is just looking to disconnecting for a while, and he has all the right in the world to do it. Running Wayne Enterprise has never been easy but after being under constant attack during the last year and a half, he may want some time for himself. Really Lois, calling him “heir gone wild” “playboy” or “Brucie Wayne” is perpetuating the ugly misdirections all those scumbags thrown around when they use Bruce's personal life to decimate his company and his place in it. You are supposed to be smarter. 

 

Loise sat down with a long look and it was ten times more enervating that her previous pacing, Clark smiled at her and turned to his computer, took a slip of his now cold coffee, drummed his fingers and pretended concentrate in his work until he couldn’t take it anymore and stood up to get more coffee with a wavy smile an awkward head gesture to Loise, her eyes still on him.

Loise didn’t believe him of course, she had excellent instincts and he was lying through his teeth, he had no idea what it was that Bruce was doing and he was very worried. Not as worried as Diana though, she had gone from curious, to annoyed, and then jumped straight to anxious. It wasn’t like Bruce was in any danger or missing or in DANGER! Technically, Bruce Wayne was simply on the move but well; Bruce didn’t do “simply”, so this ongoing wandering in Europe was a problem. Even worse it wasn’t just them paying attention anymore.

 

“The wanderings of Gotham’s prince” had been the headline of a two pages spare in the society section of The Metropolis Inquisitor two weeks ago; they had followed Bruce’s footsteps through Europe in the last two months without founding one single scandalous act, and suddenly that was so much more interesting for everybody, because if Bruce Wayne hasn’t been working and hasn’t been partying then what the hell has he been doing? 

A lot apparently; there was Bruce at lectures with Germany’s brightest, the next week at an art exhibition with the Spanish vanguard, two weeks after that dining with compromised Italian humanitarians. No indiscretions, no pattern, no focus. When even the gossip rags couldn't come up with some juicy theory the more serious press got interested. Now Bruce roaming was generating some serious buzz. "What’s up with Bruce Wayne?" turned into "What’s up with Wayne Enterprise?" with an amazing speed forcing the company’s representatives to release the declaration that “Bruce Wayne wasn’t stepping down, nor was he selling, merging or relocating Wayne Enterprises, he was in fact just on vacation”.

That only pushed the press into a speculation frenzy and people like Louise Lane to pressure any source available to get the “real” scoop. Clark was between horrified and proud that absolutely nobody could believe that Bruce was capable of taking down time. 

 

All this would have been funny except that for first time in forever Clack was as clueless as to everybody else, neither he nor Diana knew to what Bruce was devoting his time and attention. Clark hadn’t even noticed that it had started before Bruce left to Europe Diana did, though.

God, every woman in Clark’s life have better senses than him, at least Loise made her living of it. After making sure Lois wasn’t in sight Clark walked back to his desk, there blinking innocently at him from his screen was a message from Diana. “Enough is enough. Can you clear the rest of the week?”

Clark looked around, still edgy that Lois could be close enough to read his face, and called Diana. 

\- If I move some things I can leave Thursday.

-Well hello to you too Clark. Always such a sweet talker…. we are leaving early in the morning then; we have a working a theory.

-Great! Where are we going?

-Bruges-

The thing about Diana Prince is that she gets things done, she rarely second guessed herself and doesn’t hesitated or wait once she makes a decision, but she did it this time because Bruce told her everything was fine. He didn’t lie to her when she asked for his strange itinerary of late, he said “I’m taking time to make sure everything is fine” Looking back Diana can see how he directed her to think he was talking about work; it hadn’t been that hard, after Ra’s al Ghul’s contestations and Luthor’s take over hints, Bruce strong presence around the country emphasized the current good health of his company. Three days after he left for Europe.

It pisses her off. It should piss off Clark too, but he was amused by the situation. Clark have an alarming lack of curiosity in other peoples’ lives to be a reporter, it is his empathy what makes him so good at his work, people enjoy talk with him and he can caught a lie without a problem, it also helps that he has learned to follow a trail like nobody’s business. 

Something he had refused to do when Diana told him it was time to catch up with Bruce. Clark didn’t even stir until the love of his life began asking him why his best friend was wasting his time moving around like he didn't have a care in the world. Then, and just then, he agreed to track Bruce movements. 

It was easy from there. What Diana found out was so unsettling that she waited until she and Clark were way over the Atlantic before charing her conclusions with him. 

-It's weird me out that the OTAN keeps register this detailed of every customs movement-

-Stop avoiding the point- First class was so comfy that was making Clark sleepy and maybe that’s why this theory of Diana sort of made sense, because otherwise it was very out there.

-Diana, this is very out there, you know?-

-I know! But it’s the patron that encloses Bruce’s more. And when I called Alfred and tod…-

-Alfred told you something? – All he had gotten from Alfred when he asked for Bruce was “master Bruce is out of reach right now, I will tell him you called young Clark”, even when Clark got his mom to call the conversation was longer but the answer was the same. It was still better that the conversations Clark and Diana have been having with Bruce through voicemail (Bruce did call back, he just left short messages when he knew they couldn’t pick up). It only have been a few months but Clark misses him. Diana does too.

-No, Alfred didn’t tell me anything, but when I told him I was going to Belgium, maybe would stop by Bruges, he got really quiet and then he went “I assure you miss Diana I would let master Bruce know”-

-You make a really good Alfred-

-Is the British accent-

-So, he is following a Circus?- Good, it also sounded ridiculous at loud. Looking at Diana’s face she heard it too.

-Yes following a circus- Diana put the traffics movements on her table again- See? Every time they move, Bruce moves, he may divert for a few cities, extend his stay in some of the bigger ones but he always catch up- 

\- But, what does he wants with a circus? What? Seriously what?

-….

-Maybe he is chasing his childhood.

-Maybe someone owns him money- Diana was smiling now, leaning back in her seat with her hands in her tummy. 

-You never know, he could be learning how to swallow a sword- 

-C’mon Clark, we both know is a woman-

-It could be guy-

-…..I hope is not a guy, they are a lot more unpleasant-

Bruce romantic taste is bad for himself, the people he gets interested are as varied as his interests, he liked a lot o people, enjoyed the conversation of few and took pleasure in the silence of less, but the ones he grew to love have been always hurtful, and not in the “is a shame sometimes things don’t work” kind of way…it had been bad.

Pamela promised him forever and then left him with a “Dear John” letter a few days after his parents’ deaths. Harvy Dent executed a brilliant two faced act, treating Bruce like a little dirty secret while promoting a friendship with Gotham Prince for public consumption. Tommy Elliot and his hushed resentment was probably the worst, Bruce had loved him as a friend first and Tommy turned everything into a lie. Talia al Ghul, was a heartbreaking deception, she is strong, driven and insightful and had loved Bruce sincerely but her fanatical dedication to her father’s cause resulted in a devastating betrayal that almost cost Bruce his company, twice. And of course Selina, who is fun, and brilliant and supportive but a stray thief, the STRAY part being the real problem.

There wasn’t much Diana and Clark could do about Bruce’s mantis like libido, beyond be there with him and now they weren’t allowed to do that. Bruce was a smart man and after the al Ghul debacle, he wouldn’t be following a carny around like a lovesick puppy if there was a real danger to anyothing but his pride, yet there was something unseating in this situation. 

He was shooting them out, they didn’t do that. If Bruce didn’t tell they had to find out by themselves. Enough was enough.

Bruce took the table in the corner and asked for coffee while he waited for the rest of his party, he thought of sending a message to Clark and Diana to invite them in but they got to the circus and then followed him here all by themself already, it would be cheat right at the end. Bruce had been ratter cross when Alfred called him to let him know Diana’s message, but seen them at tonight’s show studying everything and failing miserably to be circumspect was pretty amusing and made Dick laugh, though Bruce could tell he was somewhat intimidated, Dick become determinate when something made him nervous.

Bruce was curios if they spot him. Nobody could look away once Dick started to move, but Clark and Diana weren’t looking at him

After 5 minutes of stalking the door Diana dragged Clark in and they sit across him. Bruce smirked in is cup.

-Diana, Clark, is so nice of you finally came in and say hello –

-Hello Bruce - Clark smiled and took the menu- what is good here? -

-I don’t believe you, how long were you planning to keep this game going- 

-Well, you were doing such good job at being subtle I didn’t want to spoil it for you, did you found what you were looking for? - Diana bitted her lips and finally took her wide-brimmed hat and the dark glasses.

-No yet- Clark answer- though we did get here and at this point it's silly keep wasting time. This is a beautiful place; just introduce us to your temptress already I want to go sightseeing-

-My temptress?-

-His temptress?-

-Whoever it is that got you two to take some time off. I like her already-

-I don’t. Bruce, what are you doing?-

-What are YOU doing? Haven't you two heard of boundaries? –

Clark’s whole body snapped in his chair, that was rich of Bruce.

-Oh that’s rich of you Bruce! How is this different from the time you made investigate Steve’s records?

\- Steve Trevor is General at 32 and his transcripts are almost entirely black ink, my concerns were legit-

-And my…-

-Ours- 

-…Ours aren’t? - Diana was taking his gloves now and Clark signed their waiter a quick order for everyone- You up and leave, without calls or mails, we had to hear of you movement from the press, you are ignoring your responsibilities-

-I’m the press-

-Clark is the press, and I didn’t ignore anything, Luscious Fox is in contact with me all the time, so is Alfred and so will you two if everything you wanted to talk wasn’t about what I’m doing-

-Why is a secret?!

-It isn’t! I just not sure how talk about it.

Diana shut up, Clark shut up and Bruce shut up. The waiter brought something mysterious for everyone and they all say thank you at the same time.

They had met in this way, in a small restaurant they didn’t know what to order from, in a city none of them knew very well. They had been waiting for their turn in a school competition, an ecological proposal that would never see the light of the day and where they all lost anyway. Bruce wanting prove himself more than a legacy, Diana always the overachiever and Clark looking to do better. They had no other place to go and they spent hours sitting there waiting and eating, talking.

They never stopped talking. When Diana was exiled from her family for her politics views she stayed with Bruce while he was in London School of Economics, her family was Greek royalty, they tolerate scandal but dissension was a different matter. They all went to the Kent farm to spend the first Thanksgiving after Bruce’s parent died, with Alfred and Martha Kent trying to chare the kitchen, and Bruce and Diana visited Clark in his tiny apartment to cheer him up, while he was trying to reconcile ethics and truths.

The idea of missing words between them was a novelty.

-Uhm, Hi- 

The kid, because he was a kid, standing by their table was beautiful, he had large, droopy eyes, a generous mouth in a perfectly chiseled jaw, and absolutely no fashion sense. Bruce stood up and took the KID’s hand.

-Dick this are Diana Prince and Clark Kent, Diana, Clark, this is Richard Grayson, he will be living with me when Gotham University fall semester start-  
Clark didn’t need supper hearing to hear Diana’s indignant gasp, he close his jaw and stretched the kid's, Dick’s! hand, next to him Diana grasped the hand and didn’t release him until Bruce pull him so they could sit.

-Grayson? Like the “Flying Grayson”- Clark have been looking at them while in the circus while he was supposed been looking for Bruce and his partner, it had been impossible not look at them, it made him sorry that Lois wasn’t with him to see them

-Yes, that’s us, we are the best! My parents are going to have to find someone else to replace me once I leave, they already are talking with the Karinskis, they are really good too, not as good as me though, but with two couples you can do a whole different kind of routines, it should be fantastic. Did you like the show?-

-Yes- said Clark honestly .

-Sorry is Dick? Don't you prefer Richard?- asked Diana, Dick smiled a different smile and his whole face turned quizzical.

-Dick is fine- said Bruce- we should eat. Diana didn’t reply and waited for everyone had their food before start questioning. The kid answer everything

“Oh C’mon I get when and why but there’s no way you want to know how” “yes I have done this all my life” “Bruce isn’t paying my education, my parents are farsighted, they always think in the future” “yes” “no” “I cursed two semesters before in the Sorbonne” “Yes, Bruce probably pulled some strings” “no I didn’t” “Bruce says he didn’t, but he probably did”….. “what?” 

They talked and talked, by the end Clark really liked Dick and Diana was smiling, though Bruce could tell that the minute she got home she was going to go looking every detail on Dick Grayson’s life, Clark too. Bruce wasn’t stupid he could tell how this looked from the outside but he was so sure. 

It wouldn’t be easy, Dick has quite a temper and Bruce sometimes couldn’t say what Dick wanted to hear and his controlling nature crashed fully with Dick’s independent impulces, and it was going to be a clusterfuck when this became public, they will call Dick and Bruce every name in the book but they can take it, Bruce has no doubt of their individual resilience and common strength and the people that matter had their backs. 

It wasn’t going to be easy but Bruce was sure, this people were with him for life.


End file.
